Metal scribing gauge



March 11, 1952 L. PLOTNIK 2,588,658

METAL scRIbING GAUGE Fiied June 25, 1948 Laws .4 4 orxv/c/e, I

IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METAL SCRIBING GAUGELouis Plotnik, Compton, Calif.

Application June 23, 1948, Serial No. 34,640

1 Claim.

My invention relates to gages particularly adapted, although notnecessarily, for scribing guide lines on sheet metal incident to cuttingthe metal into various sizes and shapes.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a gage for the abovedescribed use which is characterized by its structural simplicity, lowcost of manufacture, durability, and easy mode of adjustment andoperation to scribe a line in sheet metal at any predetermined distancefrom an edge thereof.

I will describe only one form of metal scribing gage embodying myinvention and will then point out the novel features thereof in a claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of metal scribing gageembodying my invention, in scribing position on a sheet of metal.

Fig. '2 is an enlarged view showing the gage in front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the gage in rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 -Of Fig. 3.

Having specific reference to the drawings, my invention in its presentembodiment comprises an elongated flat body B of suitable width andlength to be easily held in the hand, and preferably constructed from asingle sheet of metal of relatively heavy gage so that in normal use itwill maintain its true linear form to slidably hold a ruler R.

Integral with the longitudinal edges of the body B are flanges l5 andI6, bent to one side of the body and coacting to stiffen the body andform a channel for slidably receiving the ruler B. As will be noted theflange I5 is coextensive in length with the upper edge of thebody, butthe flange I 6 terminates short of the forward end of the lower edge ofthe body where, the body edge is formed with an integral extension I! inthe plane of the body and shaped to provide an abutment with a straightedge l8.

The ruler R of my gage comprises a flat strip of metal of relativelyheavy gage to prevent bending or flexing in its normal use, and of suchwidth as to be slidable in the channel formed by the flanges I 5 and l6, and hence adjustable longitudinally on the body B. The ruler on itsouter side is provided along its lower longitudinal edge and at rightangles thereto with graduations [9 in inches and fractions thereof.

The zero graduation (see Fig. 3) is at the forward end of the ruler Rwhere, the ruler is provided With an integral extension 20 which is bentupon itself to form a sleeve 2|. Prior to the formation of this sleeve2. scribing instrument 22 in the form of a steel needle, is positionedso that when bending the metal the needle is firmly clamped in thesleeve and thus permanently held thereon.

' It will be noted that the sleeve 2| is at an acute angle to the loweredge of the ruler to hold the needle 22 in such position that its point22a is on a straight line projected from the zero graduation. This is inorder that the line scribed on a sheet of metal by the needle can beaccurately measured by the ruler in relation to an edge of the metalsheet.

For securing the ruler R in any position of adjustment longitudinally inthe body B, and hence, the needle 22 in various spaced positions inrelation to the straight edge l8 of the abutment IT, a simple andeffective clamping device D is provided, additionally characterized bythe fact that it can be operated to secure or release the ruler by asingle finger of the user.

This clamping device may comprise a pair of ears 23 formed on the backof the body B by outstriking and shaping portions of the metal, andleaving an opening 24 in the body between the ears. A lever 25 isfulcrumed on the ears by a pin 26, and a pair of cams 21 are formed onthe lever at points to be extendible through the opening 24 to engagethe ruler R. On the free end of the lever a winged-shape handle 28 isformed to be engaged by the finger of the user for actuating the leverto release the ruler, when it is in the ruler-clamping position shown inFig. 1.

In the use of my gage, the ruler is first released by swinging the lever25 from the solid line position to the broken line position shown inFig. 4, whereupon by moving the ruler in one direction or the otherlongitudinally in the body B, it can be adjusted to space the needle 22any desired distance from the straight edge l8 as indicated by thegraduations I9.

Once the desired adjustment of the ruler has been made, the user swingsthe lever 25 to the solid line position shown in Fig. 4, thus turningthe cams 21 past the dead center position to force and hold them againstthe side of' th ruler and thus lock the latter against movem in thebody. Thus the gage is nowre application to a sheet of metal Fig. 1.

By holding the gage in the bringing the straight edge l8 into engagementwith the edge of the sheet and the needle point 22a into contact withthe surface of the sheet, a line can be scribed on the sheet throughmovement of the gage along the sheet. By maintaining the straight edgefirmly against and perpendicular to the sheet edge, the line scribed bythe needle will be in parallelism with the sheet edge and thus adefinite distance from such edge as predetermined by the prioradjustment of the ruler.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of metalscribing gage embodying my invention, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the ap-'pended claim.

I claim:

A flat metal scribing gage, including: an elongated body of sheet, metalprovided with bentover top and bottom flanges substantially coextensivein length therewith, and providing guide channels. at one side thereof,the bottom. flange terminating short of the end of the body and having aportion extending outwardly to lie in the plane of the body andproviding a straight edge with the end of the body; a fiat metal rulerslidable longitudinally in said channels and provided along its loweredge with scale markings adapted to be brought into registration withthe straight edge from zero marking to the end marking of the scale; anintegral extension on the operative end of said ruler bent upon itselfto provide a sleeve for holding a scribing needle therein; said body ata point adjacent the 4 straight edge being outstruck at its back to formoutwardly projecting ears and an opening be tween the latter in whichthe back of said ruler is exposed; and a lever of U-form in crosssection having its parallel portions fulcrumed in said ears and formedat their fulcrumed ends into a pair of space cams which, in one positionof the lever engage the back of the ruler for locking it in any positionof adjustment longitudinally in the body, and in another positiondisengage the ruler, the lever of a length that in ruler-lockingposition its free end projects above the upperedge of said body so thatthe lever is movable to operate the cams by a finger of the hand inwhich the gage is held.

LOUIS PLOTNIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

